Branson Convention Center

Branson Mayor Lou Schaefer, center, shakes hands Tuesday with Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel Manager Mark Hartman after they and several other officials broke ground on a 220,000-square foot, $50 million convention center. BDN photo by Cliff Sain (taken from Branson Daily News)

This is a part of the $300 million master-planned project that will be known as Branson Landing.

FSCH Alumni Banquet

Over the weekend, I journeyed to Fort Scott, KS to attend the Fort Scott Christian Heights Alumni banquet. I had been asked to sing a special song. I sang "My Life Is in Your Hands". It is a beautiful song written and performed by Kathy Troccoli. Courtney and her sister, Marla, sang a special titled "Born To Serve the Lord" (see photo). It was a pleasant evening. It was was also nice to visit friends in the area while there.

Dixie Stampede

Last night 16 of my co-workers and myself attended the Dixie Stampede dinner and show. As usual, it was awesome! Each person was given the pleasure of eating a whole, roasted cornish hen, corn on the cob, broccoli soup, potato wedge, barbecue pork, and an apple turner all with our bare hands. It was delicious! We sat on the north side with all the tour buses, which I think, made us lose in the tournaments. Oh well.... there's always next time.

Hokey Pokey

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in and then the trouble started.Shut up. You know it's funny.

A Knight's Tale

For the past 5 years I was in charge of the decorations at the annual benefit, "Country Store", for Fort Scott Christian Heights. I recently found these photos of our medieval theme 3 years ago. I hope you enjoy them. My committee and I had much fun getting everything ready.

Pink Day

Today is "Pink Day" here at Branson Getaways. I have never owned anything pink in my life. So, last night I made a mad dash to the outlet mall to see what I could find, cheap. I made my way around to several stores, such as Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, and at last, Old Navy, where I found the shirt. I am actually enjoying wearing it.

Michael English Concert

This past Saturday evening I was privileged to see Michael English in concert at the Calvary Baptist Church in Joplin, Missouri. He finished the concert with "I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy!" It was awesome! A southern gospel group, Signature Quartet, was also there. They did an excellent job as well.